Chapter 13
‘That’s true. Why didn’t I think of the city guard?’
After hearing their words, I wondered why I hadn’t considered it from the start.
I nodded.
“Right. We should report it to the city guard.”
“Yes. Then they will handle the children properly.”
Being with the child for a short while, I realized I had taken the situation too emotionally.
I hadn’t thought about what would happen afterward and almost acted recklessly.
I felt lucky to have a capable guard and maid with me.
“Alright. Let’s do that. Mary, stay at the inn with the child. William and I will go to the city guard.”
“Yes, Miss.”
“I… I want to go too.”
The child immediately asked to come along when he realized I would leave him behind.
His eyes were full of worry.
“It’s better if you stay here. I don’t know what the situation will be like there. You must stay quietly until it’s all settled. Understand?”
I couldn’t take him to a place that might be dangerous.
I had never planned to bring him there. That was why I brought him to the inn.
I said this firmly but with a reassuring expression.
“I’ll get all your friends out. Do you trust me?”
“…Yes.”
I gently stroked the obedient child’s head.
Then William and I headed straight to the city guard, keeping my identity hidden just in case.
I only hinted that I was a noblewoman of the capital and that I would personally escalate this issue if it wasn’t handled properly.
That seemed to work, because the guards immediately moved quickly, running to find where the circus was gathered.
William and I followed after them.
Luckily, the circus tents were in a secluded corner of the village.
It seemed they hadn’t left yet.
Dozens of guards quickly swept through the tents.
They dragged everyone sleeping inside out into the open.
I watched the situation from a short distance.
But something was strange.
According to the child, there should be four more children. Yet, none of the figures that came out looked like children at all.
“What’s going on?”
“Is something wrong, Miss?”
“The children aren’t here.”
“Maybe not all of them have come out yet?”
“No, something feels off.”
I quickly approached the group of guards and circus members.
Some familiar faces were trembling on their knees, wearing only their underwear.
As soon as our eyes met, they avoided my gaze and lowered their heads.
I walked toward the large man who seemed to be the leader.
“Where are the children?”
“W-what?”
The man stammered unusually.
“I heard there were more children.”
“Y-yes. There are. The children are all… all in that tent!”
He pointed to a nearby tent.
I gestured for William to check.
William ran to the tent and returned, his expression grim.
“The children aren’t there.”
“They aren’t?”
“No. There was no one.”
“That… can’t be! They all stayed in that tent!”
Looking at the man’s eyes, I didn’t think he was lying.
And there was no reason for them to take the children.
They surely didn’t expect the city guards to raid today, and they were supposed to leave at dawn.
‘Then who took the children…?’
Who could it be?
It would take too long to search the area randomly.
I closed my eyes and focused my power.
A moment later, when I opened them, I could sense heat from all living things around me.
It was my ability to detect the heat of people and objects using fire.
I quickly scanned the area.
Apart from the people here, I detected small heat signatures of children and a few adults a little distance away.
“William, take care of this here.”
I returned my eyes to normal and told William to finish clearing the area.
Then I dashed toward the heat signatures.
“Miss!”
I ignored William calling and ran at full speed.
But when I reached the place I had sensed, no one was there.
I noticed footprints on the dirt.
Just as I thought, there were small footprints of children mixed with those of adults.
It was clear someone had taken them, so I hurriedly followed the footprints.
Even after ten minutes, there was no sign of the children or anyone else.
I realized I couldn’t find them this way, and as I prepared to focus my power again,
a man suddenly appeared in front of me, a few steps away.
‘I didn’t sense him at all…’
“Who are you? Why are you chasing us?”
It was too dark to see his face clearly.
He was tall and well-built, but his voice seemed strangely familiar.
“Did you take the children?”
“I have no reason to answer that. Leave now.”
At that moment, the moon peeked through the clouds, lighting his face in the darkness.
I realized he was the same man I had bumped into near the circus earlier.
He must have just recognized me too, because his eyes widened in surprise.
“You are…”
I suddenly wondered if meeting him near the circus before wasn’t a coincidence.
Was he deliberately watching the circus then?
“Why are you taking the children?”
“It’s not kidnapping.”
“If it’s not kidnapping, how do you explain this situation?”
“Well…”
He hesitated, as if hiding something.
“I came because one of the children in the circus asked me to rescue their friends. So I raided the tents with the city guards, but the children had disappeared. And now you say someone else has taken them? That’s wrong. Give the children to me.”
I explained why I was here, trying to persuade him.
He didn’t seem like a bad person, but appearances can’t always be trusted.
‘This handsome man… is the kidnapper?’
“That’s impossible.”
I tried to end this without force, but he didn’t listen at all.
“You insist on taking the children? Then I can’t stand by any longer.”
My courtesy toward a kidnapper ended here.
No matter how beautiful he might be, I would never forgive someone committing crimes, especially against children.
“Miss!”
William’s voice came from behind, and he quickly stood beside me.
“Have the guards finished?”
“I asked them to arrest all the circus members and hold them accountable.”
“Good work.”
“But who is this man?”
“A kidnapper.”
I briefly introduced the man in front of us to William.
“If he’s the kidnapper, where are the children?”
“Now we ask him.”
I gestured to William.
We needed to work together to capture him.
As William was about to move, the man spoke.
“You’re mistaken. Let’s talk this out.”
I signaled William to pause.
“No need to talk. Just give me the children and come to the city guard with us.”
“I’m not a kidnapper. I’m not taking the children to harm them.”
He kept insisting he wasn’t a kidnapper, but taking the children made him one in my eyes.
“Come out.”
